Happy True Parents Day! See the special reading below to understand more about True Parents Day.
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True Parents Day from the Historical Point of View
In the Last Days, the truth will seem to be a lie and lies will seem to be the truth. That is precisely what is happening today, isn’t it? Though I represent the genuine goodness of God, the world thinks I am some kind of monster; some people even think my organization is worse than the Mafia. I studied science and mathematics and unless everything we do is scientifically possible, I will not even go myself. I am not a foolish man with blind ideals.
Why does the world come against us? The reason is very simple. They are afraid of us. Jews and Catholics and Protestants have been fighting and killing each other for 2,000 years, but when I appear they hastily get together as allies to make a statement against me. Without even knowing me some people now say, “Reverend Moon must be some kind of giant because the denominations were enemies before, but now they have come together as allies against this one man!”
This occurrence is prophetic. In uniting to come against me, the Jews, Catholics, and Protestants have shown that there is room for unity among the three faiths. Yet, without me there is no way that they can become one in the sight of God. We must become the catalyst, for it is with our blessing alone that they have the possibility of truly becoming one.
Our diligent witnessing is for a dual purpose. We are restoring our spiritual children of course, but we are also restoring our relatives; our closest relative is Protestantism, and our cousin is Catholicism, while our distant cousin, yet still very much our relative, is Judaism. The non-religious people of the world are extremely distant cousins. Their restoration is the job the Unification Church has undertaken.
I have fully expounded the external meaning of Parents Day in its historical context, but I have not yet spoken of its internal aspect. Would you like to hear it? Only a few people are saying yes; perhaps most would like to wait until next Parents Day! I see a lot of mouths still closed, and my voice is getting hoarse now. Shall we go on or not? Could someone come forward to speak so I can sit down? No, only I can speak this morning.
Is your flesh, blood and bone related to God or not? No matter how much you may say yes, even if your ‘yes’ brings the roof down, at best we could say that they are conditionally related to God; in actuality there is no relation. Now you call me your True Parent, but do you truly have any connection with me? Does my flesh have something to do with your flesh? Does my bone have something to do with your bone? Does my blood have a relation to your blood? Restoration itself is only conditional. You will never be able to pay your whole debt, but by the conditions of restoration you can accomplish what would otherwise take a million years. That is a beautiful secret.
Only a trade of love makes restoration possible
What condition will make this possible? Money? Power? Knowledge? Faith? Even faith can change from morning to evening. What is the unchanging condition by which you can relate with God and the True Parents? You are correct; true love alone will make the connection. When Jesus Christ came to this world as the Messiah, he had an external and internal mission. His external mission was to rule the world as the Messiah, the king of kings, establishing God’s sovereignty. His internal mission was very tender, for he came as the parent of mankind.
How could Jesus internally elevate himself? He could not elevate himself to the position of True Parent by power or kingship. Those would have been to no avail. It was only by a love that was higher, deeper and wider than all the love the satanic world could offer that Jesus could fulfill his mission. As the Messiah, Jesus could declare that whoever would follow him must love him more than anyone or anything else, more than their country, parents, spouse, or children. Jesus could not qualify as the Messiah unless he were capable of declaring such a thing. From his desire to declare to the world the supreme love of God, Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” He was indeed the Messiah, and he knew that he was capable of giving that supreme love to anyone who could love him above all else.
By giving their greatest love to Jesus, Christians are entitled to inherit God’s kingdom and the True Parents love. Jesus actually came to make a trade of love. He brings heavenly love, and we bring worldly love. God’s love is so superior that His love will not come to you unless you can offer Him the best love you can give. In this trade of love you can restore your eternal kingship; you will inherit the visible kingdom that God possesses externally, but more importantly, in loving Jesus the most, you can even possess him and you can actually possess God. When you approach Jesus in that love he will respond, and even God will have no choice but to respond to you. This is a beautiful exchange, isn’t it?
Jesus declared to his disciples and to the world that unless they could love him more than anyone else they were not worthy of him. That is a most extraordinary statement! There was no way that he could avoid being accused of blaspheming. “We stone you for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Finally he was crucified. In a way Jesus actually stimulated his own crucifixion by making statements that angered people enough that they wanted to kill him. His statements were certainly ambitious and bold; how could people accept such statements in those days? Imagine a husband and wife with a very deep relationship listening to one of Jesus’ sermons while he was saying that unless they loved him more than their own spouse they were not worthy of him. Do you think that husband would turn to his wife and say, “Yes, go love him more than me”‘? Any husband would say, “Forget it! You love me most; you are my wife.”
The Messiah’s course is truly a stony path. Over and over God asks him to do impossible things. Raise your hand if you want to volunteer to become the Messiah. Anybody who would volunteer must have something wrong with his head. The Messiah must be able to eat his own stool and say, “This is as sweet as honey.” God is continually asking the Messiah to do absolutely insane things. Does this discourage you?
God’s efforts to restore true love
Why can love set such a significant condition? It is only with the condition of love that you can leap the many millenniums to restoration. God made love so supreme that with true love there is nothing that cannot be surmounted. Love alone transcends time,
and does not know history. Among the congregation I see some elderly women. Think about that time years ago when you first fell in love; even though you are now 60 and 70 years old; it is as vivid as yesterday, isn’t it? The love that they tasted many decades ago is still fresh and sweet, and they want to dwell there even now.
Love knows no distance. If your beloved is trembling on a chunk of ice at the North Pole, do you think that your love will be frozen and weak? Distance makes no difference. Love can never be confined by time and space. Even God cannot revolutionize true love. From the beginning to the end, from alpha to omega, love remains the same, forever unchanging. If this little handkerchief were love, it would have greater value to lovers than the entire continent of the United States. Isn’t that right? Only that timeless, spaceless, eternal love can set the condition for you to be restored into heaven in no time.
How has God been working to restore this true love? Not just mankind and the angels but the entire creation was affected by the fall of man. Even the dignity of God was lost. The work of restoration means bringing everything that became fallen back into unity with God. God divided the restoration period into different segments. In the Old Testament era all the things of creation became the mediator between man and God. Why? Everything became upside down because of the fall of man. Originally man was supposed to be closest to God, but after the fall the things of creation were purer than man, and thus closer to God. For this reason man could only reach God by symbolically sacrificing himself through the things of creation. In addition, God created all things in the world before he created man. For these reasons the Old Testament era was the time in which God was restoring all things. God restored all things first, even before man could be re-created, and then turned to restore His children.
Israel was the nation in the position of servant; through Judaism men were lifted from the state of fallen sinner up to the position of servant. Then in the New Testament era Jesus Christ came as the son of God to bring an era of great transformation. During Jesus’ lifetime men were to be lifted from the position of servant to the position of sons of God. As God’s servant, the nation of Israel was to support Jesus as the son of God, elevating him to the position of sovereign and then to the position of True Parent. The Bible referred to Jesus as a great teacher, but did not reveal the mission of Jesus as the parent. While Jesus was on earth the entire dispensation of restoration could have been shortened; the son of God came to restore true sonship, and to elevate himself into parenthood, raising the chosen people into direct sons and daughters, the true heirs of God. Then the entire nation could have been elevated to parenthood. That was God’s scheduled program.
Because of the faithlessness of the people, however, Israel could not advance that far, and instead of becoming a living sacrifice, Jesus was killed as a sacrifice on the altar of God. Thus Jesus actually died to lay the foundation for the future Messiah. By his own death he paid the indemnity and paved the way for the second coming of the Messiah; thus began the Christian era of the New Testament.
When the new Messiah comes, he will bring those in the adopted son’s position into the position of direct sons and daughters of God, and then elevate mankind into true parenthood under God. The second coming of the Messiah will be highlighted by the work of the True Parents. It will be the most brilliant new age, the final consummation of the work of God. The True Parents will be the mediators between God and man and all men shall be saved, becoming the direct children of God and true parents of mankind.
We must build our own foundation
Judaism was the national, external foundation for Jesus, but Christianity bears that responsibility for the second coming of the Messiah. Furthermore, the Messiah is coming on the worldwide level; therefore, the free world is in the position of the nation of Israel. When this situation is ripe, you will know that the day of the Lord is near. When the messianic work is fulfilled by the free world then God will take direct responsibility for the communist world. The restoration process can never be completed without this worldwide unity between Cain and Abel.
Presently a Cain-Abel struggle is taking place between the Unification Church and other Christian churches, and between the Unification Church and America. World restoration can be speeded up after the Unification Church, Christianity, and America find the way to unify. However, because the free world opposes us we ourselves must rebuild and stand upon our own foundation for the Old Testament and New Testament eras, and the era of this new age. History records the vertical process of restoration: the Old Testament era was for the restoration of all things; the New Testament era was for the restoration of the children, and the Completed Testament era will see the restoration of the parents.
Here in the Unification Church we are horizontally restoring the 6,000 Biblical years of God’s work in our lifetime. Within our own movement these three ages are unfolding horizontally. We are establishing an economic sphere: in addition we have children, and in the center we have the True Parents. We are restoring all of these things ourselves, and together we are bringing all of them to God as an offering. This work does not yet represent the Kingdom, however, only when God returns our offering to us as a blessing will the Kingdom begin. I am unfolding this dispensation in my own lifetime. After offering to God the spheres of economy, children and parents, the next phase to unfold will be that of the tribe and then nation, world and universe. I came to America in 1972, and my 3 1/2 year campaign here was my offering to God of all the necessary conditions on the worldwide scale. My offering on the worldwide scale was completed by 1976.
New York is the symbolic heart of the world, and in this city we are working to firmly establish our economic strength. All the buildings we own in New York are part of this economic dispensation: Belvedere, Headquarters Building, East Sun, the World Mission Center, Tiffany Building, and the Manhattan Center, as well as all the land we own in Tarrytown. Compared to the wealth of the world all this is still small, but we must offer it all to God as our worldwide offering. Our effort is a worldwide effort and the energy of the world must be mobilized, for this reason every bit of money used to make this possible came from the blood and sweat of all our members around the world.
On September 18, I fulfilled my covenant with God
The final climax of this offering was the Washington Monument Rally. That was the altar upon which we offered to God everything that we had received. I want you to know that September 18, 1976, was the day of offering for the sake of the world; centering on the worldwide dispensation for America, that offering was made in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital. The five races of the world gathered together there, symbolically proclaiming, “God, we have made this altar of ourselves; please accept all of us.” That day of offering was the most serious, most divine and sacred day of the history of the world. Because a pure offering was made that day, the salvation of the world is destined to be consummated. On that day the entire spirit world declared victory. All the men of God united to declare Victory.
America should have declared victory together with us, but America failed to do that. Many well meaning people even advised me that for the sake of the Church we should be a little more quiet, “Why do you want to make all the commotion of a Washington rally?” Even some of our leaders came to me saying, “Father, this will be a blunder. We just did Yankee Stadium and we need more money, more men; it is really impossible to do it this year.” But I remained determined. “This is the showdown of my lifetime. I will give my sweat, my heart and life to do it.” I decided to give everything-myself, my family, our members, whatever economic strength our movement could mobilize-everything that I could possibly give to successfully make that offering to God in Washington.
This was not actually my showdown; it was God’s showdown. I knew that God could not afford to fail in Washington, and I knew that God was the most nervous. Therefore, I was confident that God would come to our aid and I had only one conviction, “We shall succeed. We shall win.”
I want you to know that September 18, 1976, was like my day of execution. I deeply felt like a criminal who had been sentenced to death and was going out to be executed. That is how serious I felt that day, utterly, dead serious. Until September 18, 1 completely lost track of time. I mistook my breakfast for dinner and my dinner for breakfast. Time swam in my mind. Even on my way to the bathroom I would suddenly find myself in a completely strange area because my mind had gone blank. You cannot imagine how serious I was during that campaign; only God knows.
How can I express to you the seriousness of September 18? The showdown of God was at hand. The showdown of the entire struggle of good and evil was at hand. The entire destiny of the Unification Church was before me that day. Unless all the conditions could be established for God’s power and the entire spirit world to be connected to the earth on that day I knew that I would not succeed. I was utterly serious, and I did it.
The victory of that day was a miracle. It was the work of God, not of Reverend Moon or the Unification Church, that we succeeded in Washington. Extraordinary numbers of people came. The whole event was totally beautiful! Without rain or accident, all was beautiful from beginning to end. Do you think that could be the work of men? No, it was God’s work. That victory established a new tradition. No matter what may happen to America in the future, nobody can remove the footprint which I so strongly imprinted in Washington on September 18, 1976.
One child got lost that day, and announcements were made all over Washington. There was deep suspense as people wondered what happened to the child who had come to Reverend Moon’s rally. But he was found within three days, happy and well. I felt that he symbolized the lost, wandering world which shall be restored. It was a beautiful symbol of resurrection.
When I came to America I was a lonely man. As I crossed the Pacific Ocean I prayed to God, pledging that the mission would be fulfilled. Three and a half years later, through the victory at Washington Monument, my prayer was answered; I was able to fulfill my pledge and covenant with God. Thereafter I could declare liberation. On October 4, 1976, 1 declared the Day of the Victory of Heaven as one step of liberation. On the True Parents’ birthday, February 23, 1977, 1 declared that all heaven and earth, spirit world and physical world together, shall be forgiven. Forgiveness and liberation have now been declared. The New Age has dawned; the new calendar has started. The Year One has been pronounced.
This particular 18th Parents Day is a very meaningful and extraordinary day for these reasons. Now centering upon my mission you can begin to see how the Unification Church has evolved, what mission we are pursuing, and where we are going. You know now why we need funds. Economy represents all the things of creation that have been groaning in the satanic realm. By winning the economy to the heavenly side by our own hands and our own sweat, we are establishing the condition to restore all the things of creation….
Forty days after Jesus’ resurrection the Holy Spirit descended from heaven. What is the Holy Spirit? After Adam and Eve failed their mission as the True Parents of mankind, God’s concept of the True Parents was confined to the spiritual realm. Jesus came as the manifestation of God’s concept of true Adam, but no one was raised up to manifest God’s concept of Eve. For this reason the Holy Spirit comes in the role of spiritual Mother. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as being like fire or water or like a dove, because it was without form, but the role of the Holy Spirit is that of mother spirit.
The Holy Spirit has served as the womb of a spiritual mother, completely embracing and covering Christians and internally giving spiritual rebirth. Jesus’ spirit as the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, can bring the power of rebirth to Christians. No spiritual resurrection can come about until one truly receives both Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
God never intended that physical birth and spiritual birth come separately, but Jesus could not establish full salvation 2,000 years ago, and left only the power of spiritual salvation here on earth. He must come again to the earth to complete the portion of his mission left undone at that time .
An unusual phenomenon is taking place within the Unification Church; you are seeking to be recognized and loved by the True Parents. In your deepest heart you want to become one with them; without doing this you cannot be given complete restoration or rebirth. Physically it is impossible to become a part of the True Parents, but through your love, your total unity with them will be acknowledged by Heaven. Did you ever dream of such a Principle?
I want you to deeply realize that the emergence of the True Parents did not happen all of a sudden by decree one morning. Thousands and thousands of years passed in which God shed sweat and blood and tears to lay the necessary foundation in accordance with His principle and schedule, yet this work was continually being hampered by man’s failures. I unlocked the deep secrets of heaven and earth and determined to pioneer the path beyond the level on which all the dispensational figures previously suffered or accomplished, figures like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Jesus. I learned precisely what they accomplished and what they left undone.
I knew from the very beginning that unless I set my standard higher than all of those dispensational figures I could not fulfill the role of the True Parents in heart and love. I have now succeeded beyond the level they established in terms of heart and love. From the beginning I knew what to look for, what to ask for, and what to strive for.
All the confusion and chaos of history had to be resolved. I came like a doctor to operate, to straighten out the problems of mankind within the shortest possible time of 30 years, and to complete the foundation upon which God’s history could begin and all mankind could be brought to life. It is a miracle of miracles. What would you have done if I had not come?
Right now I look miserable in the eyes of the world. I have unlocked the most important secrets of life and have freely given them as a gift to the world, yet instead of being grateful the world has come back to ridicule me. You are God’s only hope; you are my only hope. However, since your previous life was so sinful you can never deserve the blessing of God in the Unification Church without totally changing from your previous philosophy and way of life.
Who will inherit my mission?
Your lives must be. different from yesterday; each day you need to be re-created. Will you change yourselves today? On this Parents Day, let’s forget what you have done in the past because what counts is today and tomorrow. Boldly take the responsibility that God has bestowed upon you; courageously undertake what God has bestowed upon you and fulfill this mission. I want you to know that through you God will change the history of mankind.
I am not delivering this message today solely for your benefit. My audience is the world, history, and the spirit world. I am speaking to the world and every person here on earth shall listen to this word in due course. The entire spirit world is listening right now. The entire world will be without the excuse that they did not hear me.
Did my explanation of the Bible sound like a lie, or is it clear and effective truth? If the 240 million people of America and if Christians the world over could really humble themselves to listen to the truth, there is no way that they could say, “Reverend Moon, you are seeking to deceive and I do not trust you.” The power of the truth will unite men.
I am very anxious at this time. God wanted me to have fulfilled this level of accomplishment by the age of 40, yet now I am almost 60. 1 am anxious to recover those 20 years of time by declaring God’s truth to the world so that the world which has been destined to death shall see some sign of hope for restoration
It is not yet too late, but America and the world must repent. God still wants to bless America. No one ever even imagined that the emergence of the True Parents could be this difficult and precarious. To come this far I had to persevere through and overcome impossible opposition and headwinds; I want you to inherit these experiences from me. Unless you inherit this heart of mine, you will have nothing to do with the place where I dwell and where God dwells.
When I die, I shall ask God, “Is there anyone who loved You more? Is there anyone who loved the world more? Is there anyone who really gave himself more totally for the sake of the world? Heavenly Father, can You name one’-“‘ There is no other such person. Therefore, I want to live longer because no one has yet come who can succeed me in my mission. I pray that among you someone can come forward to say, “Father, I can inherit your mission. I feel precisely as you do; I am another Reverend Moon. Leave it to me. My prayer is to see even one person like that come from among you. The greatest blessing that God could give me would be to see such a man. That person will say, “Father, I shall not only equal your own record, I shall exceed your record so there can be glory and Sabbath for you and for God.” If many of you feel like that, then this is truly the glory and victory of Parents Day.
Can you pledge in this sacred, holy room, “God, I give You my covenant, my pledge, that I will never let You down, that I shall persevere even more than Father himself persevered, and with my hands Your mission shall be done. This world shall see
resurrection and health because of me.” If that is the pledge you can give, then this is the place where God will look down and take great joy. Those who can solemnly pledge this severe and most difficult yet down-to-earth commitment, raise your hands. Thank you.
In this concept and in this conviction let us rejoice on this Parents Day. God bless you. Thank you all.